The present invention relates to an apparatus for separating crown corks or similar closure elements and making them available to a receiving position of a closing machine, where a respective one of the closure elements, which is disposed on a support surface of a transport mechanism, is received and carried along by a closing mechanism that moves past over the support surface and, along with a plurality of similar closing mechanisms, is provided on a rotating rotor of the closing machine.
For closing or capping machines for closing or capping containers, especially bottles, with crown corks or caps, it is known (DE-OS 27 34 599) to provide an apparatus with which the crown corks or closure elements, which are supplied via a closure channel from a storage means (cork magazine), are separated and are successively made available to a receiving position, so that closing mechanisms of the closing machine that move past this position can pick up and carry along the closure elements from the receiving position for closing or capping the containers.
For separating and making these closure elements available, the closure elements are successively moved from the transfer position to the receiving position with the aid of a transport mechanism, and in particular by means of carrier members that rotate about a vertical axis. The carrier or abutment surface of each carrier member moves a respective closure element from the transfer position to the receiving position. In so doing, the respective closure element slides along a horizontal support surface that annularly surrounds the vertical axis and does not move along with the carrier members. The carrier members are provided on the periphery of a wheel that is essentially embodied as a disk and rotates about the vertical axis.
One drawback of the heretofore known apparatus is that it is necessary to provide a housing that surrounds the wheel. This housing also forms the support surface for the closure elements, and is necessary at least for a reliable guidance of the closure elements as they are moved from the transfer position to the receiving position. The need for a housing results in a relatively expensive type of construction. Furthermore, very difficult to access areas in the form of slots or gaps result between the housing and the wheel that is provided with the carrier members. Thus, in order to clean the apparatus, the housing must be removed, which represents a not inconsiderable amount of effort. Alternatively, it is at least necessary to immerse the entire transport mechanism into a bath for cleaning purposes, for which purpose it is necessary to lower the transport mechanism. This also implies additional structural effort and/or extra work. Due to the presence of a housing, there furthermore results a relatively high type of construction for the transfer mechanism, so that taking into consideration the small spacing between the support surface and the underside of the closing mechanisms that move past the receiving position, due to the relatively high type of construction of the transport mechanism, which small spacing must be maintained for a satisfactory operation of the apparatus or capper, it is not possible, in order to clean the closing mechanism, to place rinsing or cleaning bells or caps on the underside of the closing mechanisms and to undertake a cleaning while the closing mechanisms rotate, without first having to lower the transport mechanism.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve an apparatus of the aforementioned general type in such a way that, while avoiding the aforementioned drawback, an improved manner of operation is possible, in particular also a simplified cleaning, yet a simplified construction is also provided.